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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25916806">Lion Hearts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/romeoandjulietyouwish/pseuds/romeoandjulietyouwish'>romeoandjulietyouwish</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Old Guard (Movie 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Asexuality, Coming Out, Established Relationship, Fluff, Immortal Husbands Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Love, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:14:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25916806</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/romeoandjulietyouwish/pseuds/romeoandjulietyouwish</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There didn’t use to be a word for who they are, Nile tells them that there is.</p><p>OR</p><p>An asexual Nicky/Joe fic</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>311</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lion Hearts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This idea came from some headcanons by @ilostmyothersock on tumblr!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There didn’t use to be a word for who they are. </p><p>Nicky and Joe knew they loved each other, that wasn’t the problem. The problem was this strange urge that neither of them seems to have. Throughout 900 years, Nicky never understood the purpose of making love or the desire some people seemed to have for it. He didn’t see it as something enjoyable or fun or relaxing as clearly so many other people did. And after several years together, when Nicolo was finally confident enough in his Arabic, he brought it up to Joe. </p><p>They had been in the middle of the desert, completely alone except for the wind and the sand. A fire burned in front of them keeping them warm from the cold night air. Normally their conversations were peaceful and almost never too serious, but tonight Nicolo has something on his mind, that’s been on his mind for a long time. Yusuf had his arm around Nicolo as they talked, but when Nicolo began to talk, he pulled out of Yusuf’s grasp and turned his eyes to the fire, he found it far easier to look into the flames than Yusuf’s warm eyes. So he emptied his heart to his lover, talking more than Yusuf has ever heard him all at once, spilling all of his worries and confusion and questions before him. And when he’d finished, Nicolo looked over at Yusuf, not sure what to see on his face. </p><p>But Yusuf just smiled and turned to face him completely, saying, “I feel the same as you do, I don’t understand the urges that seem to grip mankind so completely, but I think that we do not know enough about the world or ourselves to pass judgment.” He took Nicolo’s hand. “All I know is what I feel when I’m around you and that’s the truest thing I can think of.” </p><p>“And do you feel…that way about me?” Nicolo asked tentatively. “Like you want to…?”</p><p>“Make love?” Nicolo nodded. “No, I do not.” Yusef looked at him with so much love in his eyes, “I feel as though I want to hold you in my arms, kiss your hair and your cheeks and your lips, and spend a lifetime by your side. As long as you’ll have me.” </p><p>“My love,” Nicolo leaned into his side, “I’ll have you for the rest of eternity.” Yusuf smiled and pulled him into a soft kiss. </p><p>Now, hundreds of years later, Joe is curled up on the couch of their current safe house reading a book, Nicky’s head in his lap, fast asleep. As he reads, he gently cards his fingers through Nicky’s hair, the soft sea air coming in from the open windows. If he tilts his head just right, he can see the beach and the ocean beyond. Through the windows, he can hear Andy and Booker talking to Nile as they walk back up to the house. </p><p>“My question is just how worried do I have to be about seeing something that I don’t want to see,” Nile continues, her voice shifting slightly towards the end of the phrase, implying some deeper meaning than her words.</p><p>“Not at all,” Booker tells her. “In all our years together we have never once walked in on them.” </p><p>“Never?” </p><p>“Never,” Andy agrees. “They’re both far too polite to allow us to see them like that if they were sleeping together at all.” </p><p>“What do you mean? They don’t sleep together?” Nile asks. Joe sighs, of course, Nile would begin to wonder. That’s all the world seems to care about right now, who’s in each other’s beds. </p><p>Joe can see Booker shake his head as they pass the window closest to him, “No. They’re just sickenly sappy.” Joe rolls his eyes at that, but he looks down at Nicky and can’t help but wonder how they would expect him not to admit his love for this man every second of the day. He puts his bookmark in his book, choosing instead to marvel at his Nicolo.</p><p>“We’re back!” Booker calls as he opens the door and walks in. Nicky wakes up with a groan, turning his head to hide against Joe’s stomach. Joe laughs and puts his arms around, “I’m sorry, my love, they didn’t know you were sleeping.” </p><p>“Sorry,” Andy walks by them, kisses Nicky’s forehead, and continues on into the kitchen. </p><p>After dinner, while Joe and Andy are taking a walk along the beach, and Booker is retired to his room, Nile sits down on the couch beside Nicky. “I have something to ask you,” she says without introduction, “and it’s a-a little weird and probably none of my business but-”</p><p>Nicky puts a hand on her knee, “Just ask, Nile. You know that we’ll answer any of your questions.” </p><p>She nods and looks over at him. “Are you and Joe asexual?” </p><p>Nicky frowns at her, “What do you mean?” </p><p>“I just mean, well I was talking to Booker and Andy and I asked them if there was any chance of me walking in on you and Joe being...intimate…” She looks over to see if he catches her meaning, he nods for her to continue. “And Booker said that you two don’t do that kind of thing so I was wondering if you two are both asexual.”</p><p>Nicky appears thoughtful for a moment and then he says, “I-I didn’t know there was a word for who we are. Are there other people like us?” She nods. “Wow…” He stares off into space for a second, a small smile growing on his face. “Will you tell me more?” </p><p>“I don’t know much, but there’s so much information on the internet about it,” Nile tells him. “We can look if you want.” </p><p>“I would like nothing more.” </p><p>Nicky spends the next half hour or so pressed side by side with Nile, Booker’s laptop resting on her legs. Nicky tries to hide the tears gathering in his eyes as he begins to understand and as more and more things resonate with him. </p><p>“I think that’s me,” Nicky tells her, his voice shaky and full emotion. “That’s us.” He squeezes her into a tight hug, his head resting on her shoulder. “Thank you, Nile.” </p><p>She smiles at him, “Of course. I”m glad I could help.” </p><p>When Joe opens the door to their bedroom after his walk and sees Nicky with tearstained cheeks and red eyes, he immediately goes to comfort him. He sits down on the bed beside Nicky and holds him close, “What’s wrong, my love?”</p><p>“There’s nothing wrong.” He lifts his head off of Joe’s chest to meet his eyes and Joe can see a smile on his face. “There’s a word for us,” Nicky whispers, his voice slightly hoarse. “For what we feel.” </p><p>Joe remembers a similar conversation several years ago when they first heard the word homosexual. They had both cried into each other’s arms because for the first time they knew they weren’t alone. He puts one hand on Nicky’s cheek and gently wipes what remains of his tears away. </p><p>“Asexual,” Nicky says after a moment. “That’s what I am and what I-I think you are too. It’s-It’s a lack of sexual attraction and disinterest in sex.” </p><p>Joe stares at him for a moment, “That’s-That’s a real thing?” Nicky nods and Joe pulls him into a hug. Both of them laugh pure joy as tears roll down their faces. They’re not alone. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments and kudos are always appreciated! Thank you so much for reading!</p><p>Tumblr- @romeoandjulietyouwish</p></blockquote></div></div>
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